Agreement wh: What It Is and How to Use It Correctly
Agreement wh, or agreement with wh-words, is an important grammatical rule to make sure your writing is clear and concise. Wh-words are words like who, whom, whose, which, what, and where. They are used to ask questions or to introduce relative clauses in sentences. To understand agreement wh, let’s take a closer look at what it means and how to use it correctly.
Agreement wh means that the verb in a sentence agrees with the wh-word that is the subject or object of the sentence. This means that the verb changes depending on whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. For example, consider the following sentences:
– Who is coming to the party? (singular subject)
– Who are coming to the party? (plural subject)
In the first sentence, the subject is singular (who), so the verb is also singular (is). In the second sentence, the subject is plural (who), so the verb is also plural (are).
Here’s another example:
– What is your favorite book? (singular subject)
– What are your favorite books? (plural subject)
Again, the verb changes depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.
One common mistake when using agreement wh is to forget to change the verb when the subject is plural. For example, consider the following sentence:
– Who are the people that likes pizza? (incorrect)
The subject of the sentence is plural (people), so the verb should also be plural (like), not singular (likes). The correct sentence should be:
– Who are the people that like pizza? (correct)
It’s important to pay attention to the subject of the sentence to ensure that the verb agrees with it.
Another important point to remember when using agreement wh is to make sure that the wh-word is the subject or object of the sentence. For example, consider the following sentence:
– Whom is the letter addressed to? (incorrect)
In this sentence, the wh-word (whom) is not the subject or object of the sentence, but rather the prepositional object of the preposition “to”. The correct sentence should be:
– To whom is the letter addressed? (correct)
By using agreement wh correctly, your writing will be more clear and concise, making it easier for readers to understand. Remember to pay attention to the subject of the sentence and to make sure that the wh-word is the subject or object of the sentence. Keep these tips in mind and your writing will be grammatically correct and effective.